Monthly Archives: September 2015

Indissolubility: A necessity of love,

not a precept

Introduction

There are situations in which both spouses are wondering, with good reason, whether it is still worthwhile to insist in trying to fix a relationship gone bad and that is proving to be irremediably broken. They don’t love each other any more, there are character incompatibilities, annoyances, they speak only to offend and even the children are involved in the failure of the parents. What sense has it go on living together? Does God demand the extension of a living together which is a torture? Is it not better for everyone to go his/her own way and rebuild a life?

To these questions the logic of the men replies without hesitation: divorce is better. If so many couples split up after a few years of marriage, is living together preferable? If things do not go well let one go without much trouble.

In no other field, as in that of sexual ethics, man is tempted to give his own morals, and so the salt of the gospel proposal is often made insipid by many “buts,” “ifs,” “howevers,” and “depends.”

“To become as little children” is needed to enter the kingdom of heaven, to understand the difficult, challenging proposal of Christ. Only one who feels little, who believes in the love of the Father and trusts him, finds himself in a right disposition to welcome God’s thoughts. Not everyone can understand them, “but only those who have received this gift” (Mt 19:11), not the wise and prudent, but the small ones (Mt 11:25).

To internalize the message, we repeat:“Only the narrow way that Jesus offers leads to life.”

We are given the Spirit

but not exclusively

Introduction

It is not always easy to distinguish a friend from a foe. Sometimes it’s deceiving: the most trustworthy person, the one chosen as a confidant, a day can betray, while the one we kept under control because we judge him dangerous in the end may prove to be the most loyal companion.

How to understand who is with us and who is against us?

The Christian, at times, gives the impression to proceed alone down the right path traced out by Christ and is caught by anxiety; but as soon as he raises his eyes and looks around, he unexpectedly sees many generous, sincere, well-arranged traveling companions walking at his side. He is astonished and asks why he had not noticed them before.

He did not see them because they were hidden by the thick veil of presumption of being the only true disciple spread over his eyes. Envy and jealousy prevented him from recognizing the good done by those who were different from him.

The apostles were silent when Jesus questioned them about the reasons for their contention along the way. They were ashamed because the Master had exposed their petty ambitions (Mk 8:34). Instead, not only were they willing to admit, but they felt proud to cultivate the pride of the group, a haughty presumption which led them to consider enemies of Christ and condemn those who do not think like them.

“The pride of the group” is very dangerous: it is subtle and makes one deem holy zeal that which is only disguised selfishness, bigotry and inability to admit that good exists outside of the religious structure in which one belongs.

To internalize the message, we repeat:“It’s not who prevails, but who makes oneself a servant is great in the sight of God.”

Who serves is worthier

than who prevails

Introduction

Who is in love is always “beside himself with joy.” He comes out of himself, forgets himself because to encounter the other proves to be an irresistible impulse. Even the mystical experience of ecstasy, from the Greek word existánai means “to be beside oneself” and caught up in God.

Who loves cannot remain in oneself. He has to come out and surrender to the beloved. It also happens to God, infinite love and therefore completely “out of himself.”

In Christ he revealed his ecstasy. He left heaven and came among us: “As I came from the Father—Jesus says—and have come into the world” (Jn 16:28). His destiny is to return to the Father, but does not leave people to whom he is united in an indissoluble love: “I shall come and take you to me—he assures—so that where I am, you also may be… I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you” (Jn 14:3; 16:22-23).

The Lord who comes out of himself and comes among people is a call to ecstasy, to get out of oneself to go toward the brethren. Who stops thinking of himself, his own advantage, self-affirmation and makes oneself, as the Lord, the servant of all, meets God. “How did the love of God appear among us?” God sent his only Son into the world that we might have life through him.

“It’s not that we love God but that God first loved us, so we, too, must love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us and his love comes to perfection in us.” (1 Jn 4:9-12).

To internalize the message, we repeat:“It’s not who prevails, but who makes oneself a servant is great in the sight of God.”

Peter followed Jesus

but had misunderstood the goal

Introduction

The question we now turn to whoever asks us to follow him is: “Where do you want to lead me?”

The disciples forgot to put it to Jesus when, along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, they heard his call, “Follow me!” (Mk 1:17). Fascinated by his word and by his look, they immediately left their nets and their father, the hired servants, and went with him, without objections, without asking questions, and were involved in a misunderstanding. Convinced that they had chosen a successful man as guide, they found themselves in front of an executed man, unable to come down from the cross.

The decision to accept the offer of a trip depends on the goal which is proposed, on the strength that we feel we have, from the budget we can count on, the interest that we are fond of. It is a test that should be done and even Jesus suggests it to those who want to go with him, “Do you build a house without first sitting down to count the cost to see whether you have enough to complete it?” (Lk 14:28).

On the Way to Rome, where he was thrown into the arena and would shed his blood to bear witness to his faith, Ignatius of Antioch, in A.D. 110, wrote to the Christians in the capital of the empire, “Now I begin to be a disciple.” He devoted many years of his life animating, as a bishop, the churches of Syria, and yet, only at that time, along the road that led him to martyrdom, he began to feel himself a disciple. He was sure not to be mistaken: he was going with the Master, towards Easter.

To internalize the message, we repeat:“Only when I follow the footsteps of Christ, I walk safely.”